bother

both·er

1. To cause to be irritated, especially by repeated acts; trouble or annoy: "I spoke French badly. So I always replied to him in English. This didn't bother him"(Paul Theroux). See Synonyms at annoy.

2. To make agitated or perplexed; upset: "Jerry could see ... how much the doctor had been bothered by the failure of the first surgery"(Rick Bass).

3. To intrude on without warrant or invitation; disturb: "When I saw him slumped in a chair, deep in thought, I decided not to bother him"(Pat Toomay).

4. To give discomfort or pain to: a back condition that bothers her constantly.

5. To take the trouble (to do something); concern oneself with (accomplishing something): "Most people [with the syndrome] have such mild symptoms that they never bother to see a doctor"(Jane E. Brody).

v.intr.

To take trouble; concern oneself: "old, hard-to-reach coal seams that were too complex or dangerous for other coal companies to bother with"(Jeff Goodell).

7. a worried or perplexed state: Don't get into such a bother about small matters.

[1710–20; orig. Hiberno-E]

syn: bother, annoy, plague imply persistent interference with one's comfort or peace of mind. To bother is to cause irritation or weariness, esp. by repeated interruptions in the midst of pressing duties: Don't bother me while I'm working. To annoy is to cause mild irritation or mental disturbance, as by repetition of an action that displeases: The dog's constant barking annoyed the neighbors. To plague is to trouble or bother, but usu. connotes severe mental distress: The family was plagued by lack of money.

disturbance, perturbation - activity that is a malfunction, intrusion, or interruption; "the term `distress' connotes some degree of perturbation and emotional upset"; "he looked around for the source of the disturbance"; "there was a disturbance of neural function"

2.

bother - something or someone that causes trouble; a source of unhappiness; "washing dishes was a nuisance before we got a dish washer"; "a bit of a bother"; "he's not a friend, he's an infliction"

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